Baseball has a long and decorated history of great players and hall of fame talents, but some stand above the rest. I will review the best pitchers and the two best hitters ever in this article. In picking my pitchers, I chose the ones who were the most dominant for their era and career. As for hitters, I chose players who repeatedly got hits off the best pitchers of their era.
Pitchers
Mariano Rivera – Although he blew the save in game seven of the 2001 World Series, Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer of all time and, in my opinion, the most dominant postseason reliever/closer. His resume does not sound real, with the most saves in MLB history at 652, a five-time World Series champion, a 13-time all-star, 1999 World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP), 2003 ALCS MVP, 2013 all-star game MVP and the only unanimous hall of famer. Rivera pitched to a career 2.2 earned run average (ERA) while striking 8.2 batters per nine innings.
He ramped up his play in the playoffs, having a minuscule 0.70 ERA in his playoff career with a 0.00 ERA in 12 innings pitched in the 1999 playoffs on route to World Series MVP. To show how dominant he was in the playoffs, more men have walked on Earth’s moon than have scored an earned run on Rivera in the postseason.
Pedro Martinez – Standing at only 6-foot-1, Pedro Martinez did not have the career usually seen from pitchers of his day. It took him a few years to get going as a pitcher, but he became the most dominant pitcher of all time in his two-year stretch from 1999 to 2000. His resume is stacked, boasting three Cy Young awards, eight all-star appearances, a pitching triple crown, a World Series win in 2004 and a hall of famer.
His 1999 season saw him put up a 2.07 ERA with 313 strikeouts, eventually taking home the Cy Young award. ERA+ is a park-adjusted and ERA-adjusted stat where 100 is average, this stat puts pitchers from different eras on an even playing field.
This season, he had a 243 ERA+, meaning he was 143% better than the average pitcher from 1999. This might be crazy, but Pedro got even better in 2000. In that 2000 season, Martinez compiled a 1.74 ERA, 284 strikeouts and 11.7 wins above replacement (WAR), which all led the league. Pedro had a 291 ERA+, the most all-time. He was almost three times better than the average pitcher in 2000. At the height of the steroid era, Martinez carved through hitters, achieving two of the most impossible seasons back to back.
Honorable mentions: Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Clayton Kershaw
Hitters
Barry Bonds – When people hear the name Barry Bonds, some think about his on-field play, but most think about his off-the-field attributes with his steroids and perjury case. What cannot be argued is that Bonds was an absolute titan of baseball who captivated baseball as a power-speed guy early in his career and then later as the most intimidating combination of power and discipline ever. Bonds started as a Pittsburgh Pirate. During his seven years with the team, he collected 176 home runs, 251 stolen bases, and five different 30-home-run and 30-stolen-base seasons.
He took home hardware winning two MVPs, three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. In 1993, Bonds moved to the Bay Area and joined the San Francisco Giants. This is where he became a superstar, but also one of the most hated players in the history of baseball.
In 2001, Bonds broke the single-season home run record, set a few years earlier by Mark McGwire, by hitting 73 home runs. He had a 1.379 on-base percentage, the second highest in modern baseball history.
Three years later, Bonds reached a whole new level. He racked up 120 free passes that season, the most in MLB history by almost 80, and had a 1.422 OPS and a 263 OPS+. OPS+ is similar to ERA+. He ended his career with 762 home runs, seven MVP trophies, 14 all-star game appearances, eight Gold Glove awards and 12 Silver Slugger awards.
Barry Bonds is the most polarizing player ever, with some people hating him for his alleged steroid use and various off-the-field issues. What cannot be argued is the impact Bonds left on baseball. No matter what your opinion is of him, you cannot take his records or trophies away.
Tony Gwynn – Tony “Mr. Padre” Gwynn finds himself as the undisputed greatest power hitter ever, which is funny if you know how Gwynn hit the ball. He is not on this list for his homerun numbers or crazy power, but because of his ability to hit to all fields and become the best pure hitter ever. From 1989 to 1999, Gwynn was an all-star and maintained a batting average of .343. In the strike-shortened season of 1994, he carried a .394 average over 110 games and was the closest to batting .400.
Gwynn was a master of putting the ball in play, with his highest strikeouts in one season being only 40. He had 287 plate appearances against Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. In these at-bats, facing three Hall of Fame pitchers and seven combined Cy Young awards, he struck out only three times and hit .381. For his career, Gwynn collected 3,141 hits, eight batting titles, seven Golden Glove awards and an invitation to Cooperstown in 2007.
Honorable mentions: Ted Williams, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera.
